The Quick
by Heroe
Summary: The Straw Hat Pirates undertake a mission that leaves Nami and Zoro at odds. Lesson learned: words can cut far deeper than any sword. WIP.
1. A Simple Heist

******Summary**: The Straw Hat Pirates undertake a mission that leaves Nami and Zoro at odds. Lesson learned: words can cut far deeper than any sword.

******Disclaimer**: One Piece is (c) Eiichiro Oda and Shueisha, Inc.

**__****THE QUICK**

******A Simple Heist**

There was a crescent moon, which was in its earliest stages and barely visible to the naked eye. Minimal illumination was provided from the waxing orb, causing the sentinels of a lone marine ship to be on high alert. The assigned lookout was aloft and straining to watch the fathomless sea with a handheld lantern serving as his only aid against the pitch. When a sudden splash resonated from the previously still waters, his attention was routed starboard and the light was shown in that vicinity for better observation.

A fellow sailor expectantly peered up from the main deck. "You got something?"

Squinting into the perilous deep, the lookout let several seconds elapse in advance of making a response. There was now an eerie calm but no evidence of hazardous activity, such as the rearing of monstrous kings or advent of enemy vessels. "All clear," he finally deemed.

The marines failed to gather that they had been deceived by the stir. While their focus had been on the commotion, a pair of interlopers had boarded the anchored ship from its stern and invaded the quarterdeck. The female gestured for her male companion to crouch and follow as she navigated the liner. The marines were a predictable lot, so she presumed the treasure hold to be off the quarterdeck and near the captain's cabin. She had infiltrated many marine ships during her stint as an Arlong Pirate and the blueprint was always unchanged.

Maintaining a sharp eye, Nami stealthily crossed the quarterdeck ere descending and safely arriving at her destination. She pivoted and signaled for Zoro, her partner in crime for this escapade, to hurry and catch up; too little, too late she saw that he was nowhere in sight. Nami grit her teeth at the vanishing act, guessing that his poor sense of direction had led him astray once again. The plan had been simple: all he had to do was tag along and guard her back but, apparently, that had been a great deal to ask of the idiot swordsman.

Nevertheless, time was money. She did not have the luxury of lingering, which left her to continue the mission unaccompanied while praying that Zoro did not disclose their presence to the marines. The ship's underlings did not have her overly concerned, but she had been told horrific tales about the captain and preferred to avoid him if at all possible.

Nami was not surprised to discover the treasure hold locked tight; any seaman worth his salt would have done the same, even on a marine ship. Withdrawing Usopp's lamp dial and her own trusty pick, the practiced thief knelt and began to ply her trade. A few adept movements of the dominant hand were all that was required to release the latch and have the door swing open in a wide arc. She did not bother to suppress the smirk that was elicited from her success. The Cat Burglar was in fine form tonight, if she did say so herself.

Regaining her footing, Nami entered the treasure hold and allowed the door shut in her wake. The lamp dial brightened the room's interior, its beam reflecting off an abundance of gold medallions, jewels and other riches that were cascading out of scattered chests. Oh, the beli she could collect for pawning this booty. The mere idea of it made her want to swoon.

Alas, the loot was not her primary objective for this venture. The Straw Hats had been drawn into yet another plight of the innocent, promising to take on the dastardly marines in the name of honor and morality. As a result, her target was a rare volume purported to have been composed by a trio of powerful magi; a priestess from the Isle of Unmei, which her crew had recently befriended, claimed that the volume foretold events that would come to pass.

The Straw Hats considered themselves to be the masters of their own destiny, so they gave no credence in the mystical properties of the text. However, they were not the sort to turn a blind eye when someone was in distress. The priestess and her parish were the rightful custodians of the work, and felt it was their divine duty to protect its content from being exploited with mal-intent. Therefore, when a corrupt faction of the marines absconded with the writing, Unmei requested assistance from the maritime force's antithesis – pirates.

Nami's misgivings about the mission had been quelled with the offer of a bountiful reward for her trouble.

Taking a thorough survey of the treasure hold, she was disappointed to see that the book had not been stored; this was the least favorable scenario of her retrieval scheme. To true believers, the item sought was of inestimable value and would need to be kept in a secure location. For the captain to have taken enough interest to pilfer the book meant he thought that there was some merit to its prophecies. Having eliminated the treasure hold as its site, Nami sourly determined that the captain's cabin would follow-up on her list of potential hideaways.

It was the onset of morn and the majority of marines, excluding those scheduled for watch, had already retired to their quarters. The captain was undoubtedly resting as well. So, her dilemma was how to break into his cabin without garnering notice. She only had one viable option: a subtle diversion to remove the captain from his chambers, a diversion that would allocate her the necessary time to search and with luck recover her mark.

___Bweep. Bweep. Bweep._

Any hope of preserving a low profile dissipated when the ship's alarm resounded, broadcasting that a trespasser or trespassers were aboard. Frantic cries and calls to arm could be heard from a number of marines. The situation plummeted when shouts of recognition assailed her ears:

"Pirate!"

"Three swords!"

"Pirate Hunter Zoro!"

"He's a member of the Straw Hats!"

From her position, Nami detected the captain hastening about in the adjacent room. She promptly snuffed the lamp dial and anxiously held her breath. Before her silent count could reach ten, there was a loud crash as the captain tore out of his cabin and headed to the uproar.

This was not the subtle diversion she had in mind, but it would have to suffice.

Nami did not waste an instant, swiftly filling her pockets with coins and jewels then proceeding to the egress. She cautiously exited the treasure hold and, thereafter, daringly crept into the captain's cabin at her immediate right. A candle flickered from the desk, revealing the room to be decorated with opulent furnishings, expensive silks and wondrous paintings that were too flawless to be forged. Based on the vast treasure trove and lavish lodgings, she suspected that these marines were pirates in every way save flag and uniform.

A worn, leather-bound tome that was placed in the center of the desk arrested Nami's gaze. She walked forward and, upon closer inspection, recognized it to be her aim. Swathing the tome in an impermeable wrap specially brought, she deliberated on her next course of action. Obviously she wanted to evade the marines, particularly the captain, and hightail it back to the Thousand Sunny but, regrettably, there was a glitch in this design - a certain green-haired oaf that could not find his way out of a paper bag.

"Scour the ship! Make sure there are no additional Straw Hats on board!"

Damn.

Nami winced at the command, while her overzealous imagination enacted various skits on how to slaughter her wayward crewmate when they were eventually reunited; that is, if the marines did not get to them first.

******TO BE CONTINUED**

******Terms to Know**:

Beli: Unit of monetary currency in the One Piece universe.

Booty: Treasure obtained by criminal means.

Lamp Dial: Device made from the remains of a particular shellfish, capable of storing and releasing light. Most commonly used for domestic purposes. Originates from Skypiea in the One Piece universe.

Quarterdeck: Part of the weather deck that runs aft from the mid-ship area or mainmast to the stern or poop of a vessel.

Starboard: The right hand side of or direction from a vessel facing forward.

Stern: The rear or aft-most part of a ship or boat.

Thousand Sunny: Second ship of the Straw Hat Pirates in the One Piece universe.

Unmei: Means "destiny" in Japanese.


	2. All Hands on Deck

******Summary**: The Straw Hat Pirates undertake a mission that leaves Nami and Zoro at odds. Lesson learned: words can cut far deeper than any sword.

******Disclaimer**: One Piece is (c) Eiichiro Oda and Shueisha, Inc.

**__****THE QUICK**

******All Hands on Deck**

Zoro was in a constant state of amazement at his crew's propensity to stray and become lost amidst dangerous undertakings, especially Nami as she asserted herself to be an expert navigator. Didn't that title imply it was her responsibility ___not_ to get lost? Instead, while he was assessing the perimeter for threats, she had hied off to parts unknown subsequent to their boarding of the marine ship.

"Hmpf," Zoro grunted as he pondered his accomplice. If the greedy wench was not lost then she was, in all likelihood, plundering the craft for anything of monetary significance prior to the completion of their designated task. Should the latter prove correct, he would guarantee that she suffered harsh reprisal when the opportunity next presented itself. It was untenable for her greedy nature to hinder their mission.

With a string of colorful expletives, Zoro decided to make his way to the treasure hold. Perhaps he would meet up with Nami there and, when the ludicrous book was acquired, they could depart this godforsaken ship. Really, he inwardly scoffed, the concept of divination was preposterous. He did not believe in deities, and he absolutely refused to accept the existence of foresight. A man's path was his own.

In a succession of paces, Zoro found himself by the long boat of the main deck. His brow furrowed in confusion as he mentally backtracked, trying to ascertain how he had gotten mid-ship. The treasure hold was said to be close to the rear and proximal to the quarterdeck, but he had not seen it in the span of his trek. Hence, he concluded that the imparted directions were faulty. Given that he had not seen the treasure hold by the quarterdeck, the area from which he came, logic dictated that it was towards the front of the ship. A smug expression contorted his features, demonstrating that the swordsman was pleased with his deductive reasoning.

Everyone else may have a habit of getting lost, but he unerringly stayed on point. The rest of their motley crew ought to learn from his example.

___Bweep. Bweep. Bweep._

A piercing alarm shattered the quiet of night. Clamor from marine deployment supplemented the warning advisory, indicating that his sneak-thief of an associate had probably been spotted during whatever hijinks she had become involved. Bothersome woman.

"Pirate!"

Swiveling at the bellow, Zoro saw a group of marines tactically approaching his station. It seemed, thanks to Nami's alleged blunder, he had been exposed also. A derisive sneer twisted his mouth when the foolish marines spread out with the discernible notion of flanking him on each side so as to abet capture. Their strategy was ridiculous because there was not a chance in hell that these weaklings could scratch him, let alone take him into custody.

Zoro slid his thumb underneath the crossguard of a sword and, with an up-thrust, extracted the first of three from its scabbard. When the second and third blades were unceremoniously pulled, realization set in and anxiety overtook the surrounding marines.

"Three swords!"

"Pirate Hunter Zoro!"

"He's a member of the Straw Hats!"

From their perspective, Pirate Hunter Zoro was a renowned menace of the East Blue that had just migrated to the New World. He was one of the Eleven Supernovas and had a bounty of 120,000,000 beli; a force to be reckoned with, to be sure. The fact that he was a member of the Straw Hats, a notorious pirate crew that had declared war against the World Government and survived to flout their rebellion, only heightened his legendary status. Consequently, odds were that none of them would escape this predicament unscathed.

The standoff was short-lived, credited to the appearance of a towering figure cloaked in a standard-issued marine jacket with the ironic motto "justice" embroidered upon its back. The jacket was fully buttoned with the collar flipped upwards to shield the bottom portion of the newcomer's face. The remnants of his countenance were shrouded in shadow. Zoro was intrigued by the strength that radiated from this opponent and, moreoever, the sword strapped at his left hip. It looked as though these marines actually had someone that could afford him a bit of excitement after all.

"Scour the ship! Make sure there are no additional Straw Hats on board!"

At the captain's brusque instruction, a young officer stepped to the fore and braved protest. "Captain Takeda, we can't abandon you to Roronoa Zoro."

Energy crackled from the captain and disdain tinted his words. "As if I need your help."

Takeda had retained a fixed stare on their intruder since his arrival. Eye contact was still not broken as he gave a negligent lift of the hand that produced an onrush of current which levitated the outspoken marine from the ship's deck. Limbs awkwardly flailed in an effort to be free of the offensive stream, albeit to no avail. Then, the captain gave a dispassionate wave that culminated in the unfortunate subordinate being cast overboard by the airflow.

Further commentary was not received from those that remained. Having witnessed the repercussion of questioning orders, the intimidated marines quickly saluted and scrambled to abide their captain's mandate.

"You're a devil fruit user, eh?" Zoro's speech was remarkably unimpeded with the white hilt of a sword clenched between the teeth. He did not wait for an answer and jeered, "That's good, because whether you want to admit it or not, you're going to need all the help you can get."

"Arrogant whelp." Takeda was clearly not impressed but, nonetheless, provoked to draw his foil. His weapon of choice was a cutlass pistol, which had Zoro's blood thrumming in anticipation. This would be his first exposure to the weapon in combat. The cutlass had a brass hilt and folding guard with flintlocks running parallel to the blade; a deadly combination if skillfully utilized.

Zoro apprehended that his one-on-one fight with the captain would leave Nami pitted against the entire crew. She would be seriously outnumbered, but he was not worried about the end result. The crew was comprised of a bunch of pantywaists, and Nami was more than capable of taking care of herself. She had done so for years preceding her induction into the Straw Hats. While Nami may have moments of cowardice that could rival Usopp, she never failed to stiffen her upper lip and get the job done when circumstances called for it. Of course, he would rather walk on hot coals than acknowledge these attributes aloud. Little miss know-it-all would not let him live it down if she were to become privy to his regard.

Smiling around Wado Ichimonji's hilt, Zoro did not hesitate and sprinted headlong into battle. It was time to begin.

******TO BE CONTINUED**

******Terms to Know**:

Beli: Unit of monetary currency in the One Piece universe.

Crossguard: Bar of metal at right angles to the blade of a sword, placed between the blade and hilt. Used for protection of the wielder's hands.

Devil Fruit User: People who eat a devil fruit, mystical fruit found in the One Piece universe, and gain powerful abilities depending upon the type of fruit eaten.

East Blue: Ocean that the Straw Hat Pirates originated from in the One Piece universe.

Eleven Supernovas: The worst generation, applied to the eleven top rookie pirates with a bounty over 100,000,000 beli in the One Piece universe.

New World: The second half of the Grant Line in the One Piece universe.

Quarterdeck: Part of the weather deck that runs aft from the mid-ship area or mainmast to the stern or poop of a vessel.

Wado Ichimonji: One of the twenty-one finest katana in the One Piece universe. Of great personal importance to Roronoa Zoro as it was gifted to him by the father of his childhood friend/rival - Kuina.

World Government: Political organization comprised of the majority of the One Piece world, ruled by the Gorosei.


End file.
